Architects of Tomorrow

Last May I wrote about an event I attended called Leadercast. The university I work for is an annual host site for this event. One of the perks of working for a university is hearing from speakers on a myriad of topics. Whether the speaker is on campus for staff professional development or there to speak to students I try to take advantage of listening to their presentations. Leadercast is by far one of my favorite though. If you didn't get a chance to read last year's post you can do so here.

A little background on Leadercast...Leadercast is an organization whose mission is to bring leaders together to inspire each other and their surrounding communities. It's the sharing of knowledge from prominent and community leaders to cultivate the type of leaders worth following.

This year we heard from leaders like Kat Cole, President of FOCUS Brands, Dr. Henry Cloud, Leadership Expert, Clinical Psychologist, and Best Selling Author, and Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple, Inc. The theme this year was Architects of Tomorrow. The four content areas were Eyes to See, Voice to Share, Heart to Inspire, and Feet to Lead.

Here are my takeaways:

• We value integrity, but we follow clarity (Andy Stanley): While we hope for leaders with integrity we often follow leaders who have a clear vision. Andy gave the example of Adolf Hitler, a man with little integrity, but because he had a clear vision for the future and presented a clear execution for the plan people followed his lead. 
• Get off autopilot (Chris Barez-Brown): Humans are creatures of habit and therefore our subconscious carries us through daily tasks. Some of the most creative people purposely take themselves off autopilot by changing their routine and challenging their minds to learn new things. Engage your creative potential and you will see the world differently.
• The connection to others drives performance (Dr. Henry Cloud):
  4 Types of Connections
• No connection - Solitude. Humans need connection.
• Bad connection - Where others make you feel less than you are, worthless. This can become ingrained in your psyche.
• Pseudo Good Connection - "happy talk" Not genuine connections. Temporary feel good connections.
• Real Connection - Where you can be who you are and surrounded by people who are who they are.
• Sprint hard all the time (Rorke Denver): If you set the example of "sprinting hard" all the time, then your team will do the same.

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Thank you Leadercast for another inspirational event. Next year's theme is Powered by Purpose. Until next post...xoxo Becca

The Brave Ones

For the last few years, the university I work for has been a host site for Leadercast. Leadercast is an organization that aims to bring leaders together and inspire a new generation of leaders. We're not talking about CEOs, Fortune 500 company presidents, state governors, we're talking about being a leader in every day life, work, community, household (and of course if you choose to take on one of those titles I mentioned, good for you!) Side note, if I could figure out how to land a job with Leadercast I would be all over that...so if there are any insiders, let me know the secret to getting in! ;)

Leadership is one of the areas I love studying. Every leader has a different style of bringing individuals together and encouraging them to become leaders on their own two feet. During my masters program I was required to take a leadership course and loved every minute of it. Of course it was theory based and talked a lot about learning to lead through different styles, but I also had the chance to read a book I found motivating. Big Man on Campus: A University President Speaks Out on Higher Education by Stephen Trachtenberg, President Emeritus of George Washington University. If you work in higher education I recommend reading this book. He makes some really great points regarding higher education administration.

I digress, Leadercast is the one event I look forward to every year. This year thousands of people viewed from across the world as leaders like Ed Catmull, President of Pixar & Disney Animation Studios, Rudy Giuliani, 107th Mayor of New York City, and Malala Yousafzai, Nobel Laureate and Founder of The Malala Fund spoke about their journey and advice for those of us just setting out. This years theme was The Brave Ones and centered around doing the brave thing. It takes a lot of bravery to rise as a leader or stand up for a belief. To become one of "The Brave Ones" means to cast aside trepidation and lead fearlessly.

Some of my take aways from the event:

• Follow your broken heart (Andy Stanley): meaning follow what moves you. See a problem in your community? Step up and make a change. See video below.
• Don't "how" an idea to death (Andy Stanley): I'm guilty of having or hearing an idea and immediately start "howing" it...how will we get funding? how will we make it work? how can I get people on board? Instead, say "wow"
• Immerse yourself in fear to find bravery (Rorke Denver): This brings me back to my post about Why Blog; step outside your comfort zone, it's where great things happen.
• Don't wait for someone else (Malala Yousafzai): What are you waiting for? Don't wait for someone else to take a stand. Speak up!
• Find your place where you can improve the lives of others (Rudy Giuliani): For me, this relates a lot to follow your broken heart. 

If that doesn't move you then I don't know what does.

Stand up, speak up, and follow your broken heart!

Thank you Leadercast for another great year! Looking forward to next year's theme, Architect of Tomorrow. Until next post...xoxo Becca